Potential Impacts of the DWH Oil Spill on Fishery Resources: Will There be Reduced Recruitment of Economically Important Shrimp, Crabs, and Finfish in Seagrass and Marsh Nursery Habitats of the North Central Gulf of Mexico?

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Data gathered during our Phase I sampling indicate that oil from the DwH event has not impacted Alabama’s coastal habitats with the severity seen in Louisiana. As a result, no significant loss of seagrass and marsh plants has occurred in these locations, and the structure provided to the associated fauna remains largely unaffected. Our Phase I animal sampling efforts revealed high levels of shellfish and finfish productivity in the seagrass/marsh systems along the coast of western Alabama, in accordance with results found for other Gulf of Mexico seagrass/marsh systems.